Ashiyn had not realized how close the door was. He did not have time to get there before Rhadamanthus did. He drew Sihtaar but this time, even that was too slow.
As Rhadamanthus reached the doorway it exploded outward with blinding light. Ashiyn raised an arm to cover his eyes at the painful glare.
“You! No! Impossible. I made certain he would not remember you,” Rhadamanthus wailed.
Soryn stepped out of the doorway and it crumbled behind him. He glowed white with light magic, blinding to look at, and he folded his massive wings behind him. He lashed out with chains of light and threw Rhadamanthus toward Ashiyn. “You will control him no more, monster!”
Ashiyn swung Sihtaar and pinned Rhadamanthus’s essence to the wall next to him, the sword’s magic eagerly draining the magus. Ashiyn leaned close as Rhadamanthus jerked and screamed. “What? What did you do?” Ashiyn demanded.
“It will not matter. My death does not matter. You are mine. You will always be what I have made you,” Rhadamanthus choked out as he started to fade away. “Behold your true enemy. The one born to destroy you. Do not forget that.” Rhadamanthus managed to point a ghostly finger at Soryn before he let out one last pained screech and exploded, his essence draining into Sihtaar.
Ashiyn sank to one knee using Sihtaar for support and gasped for breath. Silence fell over the room, and the sword grew dull as the spirit inside fell dormant, sated. As Rhadamanthus’s presence disappeared, so did the walls of the curse in Ashiyn’s mind. Memories of Soryn flooded back. The realization that Rhadamanthus had stolen them from him for three thousand years made Ashiyn wish he could torture the monster again. How different would everything had been had Soryn been there all that time?
“Are you well, my King?” Soryn asked hesitantly as he scooted closer.
Ashiyn slowly rose, dropping Sihtaar to the ground. Then he turned toward Soryn, overwhelmed by the rush of emotions. The first and strongest was horror that he had sent Soryn flying into the unknown. Soryn stood before him, a normal looking man once more, his celestial powers hidden. Not trusting words, Ashiyn stormed over to Soryn and pressed him against the wall, his lips pressed hungrily against Soryn’s.
Soryn made a startled noise, his eyes wide, and then he seemed to melt into Ashiyn. Soryn’s hands grasped Ashiyn’s hair as he desperately returned the kiss. Ashiyn pulled back to catch his breath, pressed close to Soryn. “I didn’t remember.”
“I know you didn’t,” Soryn whispered, trailing his hands down Ashiyn’s cheeks. “It’s all right. We’re here now. I waited.”
Ashiyn felt inexplicably drawn to Soryn. Not just because of their past and the memories and feelings just restored to him. It had something to do with their magic. It pulled them together. He craved Soryn in a way he had never craved another. Ashiyn picked Soryn up. “You are more patient than I could ever be,” he mumbled as he carried Soryn toward his chambers.
“You are worth it,” Soryn managed to squeak out between heavy breaths. “What are you doing?”
“Rewarding you,” Ashiyn smirked as he threw Soryn down on his bed then started to remove his armor. Once he was undressed, he crawled onto the bed and tore Soryn’s clothes free.
Soryn blushed as Ashiyn’s hands explored him. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Ashiyn pressed close as he pulled Soryn to him. “What do you think?” Ashiyn whispered in Soryn’s ear.
“I think I want you to take me so hard that I feel you for the next millennium. Just in case,” Soryn gasped back as he arched against Ashiyn.
“So be it,” Ashiyn muttered. He got lost in Soryn’s screams of pleasure and in the bliss of their reunion. Addicted to the feel of it, addicted to the emotions they shared. Their magic warned them it was wrong. They were meant to be enemies. Not even that deterred them. They could not stop, not until their bodies gave out in exhaustion and they could do no more.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Soryn hurt like a wild animal had mauled him. Cracking an eye open to look at Ashiyn sleeping soundly next to him he decided the comparison was not far off. They had been together as young men, but he had never before awakened that much desire in Ashiyn. He sighed and relaxed into the comfortable bed. His emotions were everywhere. His magic had screamed at him how wrong it was the entire time they had been together, but everything else had screamed how right it was. He didn’t care if his magic told him Ashiyn was the enemy. He didn’t care if the universe wanted him to destroy his friend. Now that he had rested a little he wanted nothing more than to wake Ashiyn to do it all again.
Unfortunately, they were still mortal enough that their bodies had needs too. Soryn grunted as he crawled out of the bed and made his way to the washroom to relieve himself. His stomach rumbled loudly. How long had they been lost in each other? Hours? Days? Weeks? He shook his head and picked up his pants. They were ripped in half. At the time he had not cared, but now what was he going to wear? He turned and dug around in Ashiyn’s drawers until he found a pair of pants he thought might fit and tugged them on. He had to draw the belt tight to hold them up; he was very thin compared to Ashiyn’s muscular bulk.
